About Us

The Dallas Zoo, founded in 1888, began with just two deer and two mountain lions in City Park. It later moved to Fair Park in 1909 and quickly outgrew its second home, moving to Marsalis Park in 1912 where it stands today. Throughout the past 100 years, numerous upgrades have been made and collections expanded. In 1955, the Dallas Zoological Society was established as a non-profit to support the Zoo. In 2009 a public-private partnership was formed to transition to private management of the Zoo. In addition, the Dallas Zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals, and today, the Zoo is thriving with new exhibits such as the Koala Walkabout presented by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, SOAR, A Festival of Flight, and the Giants of the Savanna to name a few.

DID YOU KNOW?

March 2012 marked the highest attendance in the 125-year history of the Zoo. And 2013 set an all-time attendance record for the fourth consecutive year, with 915,971 guests visiting Texas’ largest and oldest zoo.

Giants of the Savanna is the only multi-species zoo exhibit in the United States to mix elephants and other species in the same habitat.

The Dallas Zoo is the only zoo in Texas and one of only 10 zoos in the nation to have koalas.

It is unusual for zoos to exhibit three different species of flamingos, yet the Dallas Zoo features Caribbean, Chilean, and lesser flamingos. In addition, the Zoo had three successful hatchings of flamingo chicks in one year.

Twenty percent of the okapi in the United States and Japan were born or bred at the Dallas Zoo.

The Dallas Zoo is the “hottest” Zoo in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, maintaining more than 70 species of venomous reptiles.

The Nature Exchange, a unique swap shop where children earn points for natural items they bring in, at the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo was one of the first of its kind in the United States.